# Collaboration Tools

For use by the TERRA Reference Phenotyping Standards Committee.

## Overview

All of the web-based software below provides the ability to organize projects hierarchically, facilitate sharing, and support collaboration. Much of this is publicly viewable.

### Core Communication Tools

* [**Github** github.com/terraref](https://github.com/terraref) project management, website content and hosting, collaborative software development&#x20;
* **Google Drive** collaborative editing of documents that we create (notes, manuscripts, etc)
* [**Slack:** terra-ref.slack.com](https://terra-ref.slack.com) ([signup](https://terra-ref.slack.com/x-48104590209-103908330007/signup))

## GitHub

### TERRA Ref sites on Github:

* **Data products repository** <https://github.com/terraref/reference-data>
  * issues and milestones: <https://github.com/terraref/reference-data/issues>
* **Computational Pipeline Repository** <https://github.com/terraref/computational-pipeline>
  * issues and milestones: <https://github.com/terraref/computational-pipeline/issues>
* **Website for R\&D** : <https://terraref.ncsa.illinois.edu>
* **Documentation**&#x20;
  * GitHub Repository: <https://terraref.ncsa.illinois.edu>
  * Edit in the [GitBook Desktop Editor](https://www.gitbook.com/editor) or [GitBook Web interface](https://www.gitbook.com/book/dlebauer/terraref-documentation/details) (see [GitBook Documentation](http://toolchain.gitbook.com/))

### Using Github:

* **Features**
  * Interface to 'git', a specialized command-line tool for version control.&#x20;
  * [code management / collaboration](https://github.com/features): &#x20;
  * Issue tracking and discussion forum <https://guides.github.com/features/issues/>
    * participants can reply to issues via email, similar to an email discussion list
* [**GitHub Documentation**](https://guides.github.com/)
* [**GitHub Desktop**](https://desktop.github.com/)&#x20;


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